Divided
by Itakru
Summary: Normal life has never been an option for Atem. Bound up in ultimate destiny from his birth, a normal life has been the one thing he has always wished for. But even when his wish is finally granted, someone from the past reappears to once again put the pharaoh to the test. What is the madman's goal this time, however? Rated for later chapters.
1. Beginnings and Ends

__Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugiou or any associated characters/property. Clashshipping isn't canon now is it? Didn't think so.

* * *

_How did it come to this?_ Atem thought as energy blazed across his skin, each branch scalding him where it glanced against the tender flesh. Everywhere it touched it became red and ashen, like the dying embers of a warming hearthfire as death's cold breath slowly snuffed it out. Gods it hurt, it hurt so much it burned everywhere and it wouldn't stop and gods why wouldn't it end?! The spell continued to ravage and lash at the former pharaoh's helpless form, seeking to latch onto something it could not find within the untainted spirit. And in the midst of the pain he looked up at the reason why he was here, suffering, why he was giving up his life in the first place.

Husky blue eyes met scarlet, horror in their transfixed gaze as he realized he could do nothing, absolutely nothing, to save Atem from what was ultimately his fault. Atem couldn't help but smile in spite of the pain, a smile that was as much to reassure himself as it was his beloved. The thought that maybe, just maybe, doing this would save him was all the reason the youth needed to look fearlessly onwards, to brave the pain without regrets. Yes, it hurt, and yes, it was nigh unbearable, but that single encouraging thought convinced Atem to not flee. Black pinpricks dotted the edges of his vision, quickly becoming more and more numerous until any color left was but a tiny blur in his vision.

How did it come to this?

In the distance the pharaoh could hear someone screaming his name again and again, but it was a voice too indistinct to recognize. He tried to call out and comfort them that it would be all right, that it no longer hurt, but his voice was lost, swallowed up in the screaming void around him. The air was stagnant yet full of so much noise, loud and grating, but also oddly comforting in its own way. With the noise his thoughts were swept up into nothingness, until only the question remained: how_ did _it come to this?

It had begun with what was supposed to be the end, the last duel that was to hurtle him into the afterlife if he had lost, Atem recalled. And he had lost. A part of him had hoped that perhaps he might win and thus be made to stay in this wonderful world, wandering alongside those he'd come to love as his dearest friends. But it was not to be, as fate would have it. As fate would have it, he would once again be snatched from the chance at a normal life.

Yugi looked up at Atem, smiling bravely in spite of the tears that rolled down his rounded cheeks, and in looking into those sad purple eyes, the pharaoh felt a sting in his heart. This . . . was really it. He was really leaving everything behind—his friends, his life, his journeys. . . . But, even though he'd been waiting for this moment for three thousand years, it suddenly dawned on him how much he wished he had just a little longer. A vibrant light brought him out of his thoughts. When did he begin walking through the doorway? Atem paused, musing in silence as he stood upon the threshold, and then turned around for just a moment to look upon the faces of those he was leaving behind one last time.

Anzu, Jou, Honda, Yugi, Ryou, even Kaiba—everyone—was there, watching, waiting with bated breath for these last few moments to finally pass. But Atem could tell, even though they had accepted in their hearts that this day would eventually come, that all of them wished he could stay. From Yugi's tears to Kaiba's retreating back, their feelings and his own stung at the back of Atem's mind. But he had to do this; this was his fate from the start and there was no turning back. So, with a deep breath and a heavy sigh, he stepped over the threshold and into the warm light that awaited.

The first thing he saw was the faces of seven familiar companions, and a rush of joy washed over him as he approached his old friends. For a moment, the former pharaoh failed to notice the lack of three people from his memory, and when it finally occurred to him who was missing, he stopped again. What had become of Akenaden? Seth? Isis? Why weren't they here to greet him? It was these questions that quickly reminded him of his mortal life; he wasn't ready to leave it behind. He wanted to stay so badly, to live just long enough to do something . . . something normal. He wanted to get drunk, love without fear, do something incredibly stupid that might break a limb, spend an afternoon on a date again, to just be average—not tied up in some ultimate destiny. Was it so wrong to want this one thing for himself?

_"Do you want to go back?"_

Atem jumped at the voice resonating from behind him, spinning in place to see its source. His eyes only met with a vision of what he was leaving behind, a perfect view of Yugi and the others on their way to school in uniform as though he was viewing through glass. They were laughing and talking about something he couldn't make out; suddenly Yugi bolted forward from the others, bounding into Atem's waiting arms in a joyous embrace. "I missed you," said the innocent reflection. Atem shook slightly, tears welling up in his scarlet eyes as he watched the vision of what could be.

_"Do you want to go back?"_

"Yes." Atem didn't hesitate to answer. "Yes, gods, yes I—"

He didn't get to finish as a sudden jerk around his abdomen knocked the breath from his lungs, as though a rope around his waist was snatched up with violent force. His diaphragm was snapped tight until it couldn't collapse further, his breath forced out in a choked cry of alarm and pain. Then he was being hurtled . . . somewhere, like a ball being pitched across a field and as he sped through the unknown, he clenched his teeth in fear of a hard landing that would rattle his bones.

But it never came. Atem jerked awake from his dream, the disconcerting sensation of falling in his sleep prompting him to come to. Soft, warm sheets swaddled him in a comforting embrace and, blinking, he began to rise. Was it all just a dream? The familiar baby blue blankets fell away as the tri-dyed youth got to his feet, stretching the last of drowsiness away. It had seemed so real. . . . Too real, and he remembered it far too clearly. In fact, his abdomen was aching quite badly.

"Ow! Ow, shit! Note to self, don't bend like that for now!" Atem exclaimed as he straightened himself, clutching his stomach with a whimper. Definitely not a dream. But . . . where was he? And dream or no, it still didn't explain how he got here, wherever 'here' was. Had he . . . really been sent back after all?

"Hello?" A familiar youthful alto called up the stairs—Yugi. Atem paused, breath hitched, hardly daring to believe it. Come to think of it, this did look an awful lot like Yugi's room, minus some changes here and there. The walls were now a soft yellow with faint brown hieroglyphics decorating their surfaces, the curtains had been exchanged in favor of new, woven linen ones; the bed was still the same, and the desk where Yugi had solved the Puzzle had not moved an inch. It did have some new décor of its own, namely some antique Egyptian figurines (probably gifts from Ryou), a couple of new pictures that Atem didn't remember the gang taking (was that Kaiba posing in the background?).

Atem couldn't help but smile as he looked around, the influence of their journeys clear in Yugi's redecorating. He had talked quite a bit about redesigning his room when they had a chance. . . . How long had it been since the duel, come to think of it? This had to have taken at least a month, between getting stuff together and painting the walls—and hand-painting the hieroglyphs, Atem noted with some surprise as he looked closer. Those were definitely Ryou's handiwork; figured, of course, his father was an Egyptologist. The small details gave the room such a . . . homey feel.

". . . hearing things again. . . ." Atem jolted as he heard Yugi speak again; he'd completely forgotten about the boy in his distraction, and hastily began for the door. He paused just long enough to have a look over the desk again, smiling at the framed picture with Kaiba in the background. The teenaged CEO had Mokuba hoisted on his shoulders, and the little genius was pulling the corners of his big brother's mouth into a smile—something Kaiba seemed both amused and annoyed about. Next to the picture, a small golden piece lay.

Curious, Atem picked it up, rolling it between his thumb and forefinger as he examined it closely. It was pyramid-like in shape, with certain angles cut into it, rather like the corner piece of a three-dimensional puzzle. With a puzzled expression, the tri-dyed youth placed it back on the desk and quietly slipped out of the room.

Downstairs, he could hear the tinkle of the bell on the Game Shop door as it was opened. A familiar Brooklyn accent reverberated up the hallway. "Yugi, buddy! How ya doin'? We ain't seen ya since Gramps and you finished remodelin'!" Jono. There was absolutely no mistaking that voice.

"I, well, I've been busy. . . ." Yugi replied in a soft voice, barely audible up the stairs.

"Remodeled? I could hardly tell—"

"Watch yer smart-ass mouth Kaiba! Can'tcha tone down the jerk just a minute!"

"If you'd let me _finish_ mutt, I was _going _to say something nice but since you're so busy reading my mind and knowing what I'll say next, why don't you finish then?"

"I'M NOT A MUTT YA—"

"Cool it you two!" Anzu intervened. "We're here to see Yugi, so cool your tempers before I take a fire extinguisher to you both!"

Atem couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he crept down the stairs towards the shop part of the building, finally standing up to his full height as he reached the end of the hallway. Carefully, he peeked around the corner, making sure to keep out of sight. Behind the counter was Yugi, who was leaning over the glass display case as he chatted with the others. Jono was leaning with his arm propped against the case, talking animatedly with Yugi while Anzu slipped around behind the counter to sit in the chair next to the register. Kaiba was hanging back, but every now and then he smiled and said something that made even Atem laugh. Outside, Grandpa Mutou was enjoying the sunlight, relaxing beside the outdoor table with a glass of what looked like tea. It wasn't a dream. He was really here, back in the real world at the Kame Game Shop. He was . . . he was home! Tears welled up in the corners of Atem's ruby eyes, his joy almost overwhelming him.

"Can you believe it's been six whole months, though?" Jono piped up, strangely muted as he spoke. "Stuff seems so . . . weird around here, y'know?"

The whole room became almost mournfully quiet at the words. Six months? Had it really been that long? "It does . . . seem strange," Kaiba muttered. "Ironic, isn't it? All that time he was here I wished he'd just disappear, but now that he's gone. . . ."

"We . . . should do something," Anzu cautiously suggested. "Like that diorama Ryou made after we first met him, y'know? He's been a big part of all of our lives, we should do something to honor those memories."

"Y'know, that ain't a bad idea!" Jono cheerfully responded. "Honda an' I can help build stuff—"

"—I can provide materials and ideas. . . ." Kaiba added.

"All of us can pitch in with something!" Anzu said cheerfully. "And, hm. . . . What about you, Yugi? What do you think about this? You were closest to him after all. . . ."

Yugi stared absently at the case beneath him, much like as if he were solving something, as he quietly contemplated the question. A memento . . . for Atem? It seemed like a nice idea, but . . . it felt too much like a kind of funeral at the same time. He wasn't ready to think that he might never see the spirit again, true as that might be, and a memento seemed like a final goodbye. . . .

"If I may. . . ." The voice startled Yugi to his senses, and he whipped around to see a very familiar face smiling at him. "I've always been rather fond of puzzles, especially—"

"ATEM!"

That was the only warning Atem received before a small bundle of innocence and joy barreled into his abdomen. "Oof! Hey—ow! Ow, watch it. . . ." Small arms closed tight around his middle, like Yugi was afraid if he let go Atem would vanish again, and soft hair tickled at the spirit's chin as the smaller of the two buried his face into Atem's chest. Tears seeped into the cotton of the former pharaoh's shirt, rapidly cooling as they stuck there and weighted the white fabric against his skin. Atem smiled, not realizing his own tears that were falling over his cheeks, and returned the hug earnestly, running his hand through the soft multi-colored tresses.

"I-I'm not . . . not dreaming a-am I?" Yugi hiccupped through his overwhelming emotions. "I d-don't want . . . wanna w-w-wake up if, if it is."

"It's not aibou, I'm really here," Atem said quietly. He began to say something else, but the words were lost as two more dogpiled on him and Yugi. Jono and Anzu hugged their two friends tightly, almost hard enough to squeeze any remaining breath from Atem yet again; it was a moment before he realized that they, too, were crying. Even Kaiba seemed to be smiling a tad.

"Well, what do you know," the youthful CEO began, his tone unfailingly snide, "even when you're supposed to be dead and gone you manage to work up some kind of miracle. You're harder to get rid of than a shadow."

". . . I missed you, too, Kaiba," Atem said with a roll of his scarlet eyes. "I'll try harder to not come back next time I'm supposed to be dead."

That touched a nerve. Kaiba barely restrained himself from snapping back at Atem, his cobalt blue eyes flashing as he visibly bit his tongue behind his pursed lips. But then he smiled—a rare occurrence—and replied, "Well, it's nice to know nothing's changed at least."

Atem returned the smile as Jono and Anzu pulled away some. "No, apparently it hasn't."

But things were about to drastically change, and the pharaoh was oblivious to it.

* * *

A/N: And so we conclude the first chapter of Divided! Hopefully the second won't take too long to write itself, unlike this pain in the butt did. Next, Atem discovers just how awkward it really is to share a room with a pervert, and how difficult it is to restrain himself from strangling several unnamed associates. Until next time, read, review, and fave my darling audience!


	2. The Expedition

Well this wrote itself faster than expected! Here's the second chapter of Divided, and with it the return of some old beloved characters. As always, read, enjoy, and review!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yuugiou nor claim to, though I would certainly love to 'claim' a certain Dark Marik. I mean, all trademarks are property Kazuki Takahashi, etc, etc, blah blah blah on with the story!

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The next few days were quite hectic as the news spread about Atem's return from the dead amongst his friends, and most of that time was spent finding a place for the renewed spirit to settle in. It was eventually decided between Yugi, his mother, and Sugoroku that at least for the time being, the older boy would stay with them. With only three rooms upstairs above the game shop, and only Yugi willing to share his space, the first week of sleep was . . . awkward, to say the least. Until the spare bed was moved upstairs from the basement, Atem and Yugi didn't really have much choice but to share the bed.

That was when Atem realized that sharing a body and a room were two _very _different matters. One would think that there wouldn't be any difference, given that when they were two spirits inhabiting one physical form there were no secrets. Well, that was partly true, but even three-thousand year old spirits and seventeen year-old pubescent boys knew where to draw lines. Lines that had kind of . . . vanished in six months' time. Atem still couldn't get the images of that magazine out of his head for starters, nevermind what Yugi had been doing at the time with it.

"Um, I'll just leave, and we'll never speak of this again," Atem had said before stiffly walking out of the room. He and Yugi _still _couldn't look each other in the eye without being reminded of that. Of course, that was all well and normal in comparison to other things. Yugi _was _a teenage boy after all, so it was at least expected. What was _not_, however, were the Bakuras.

Yes, Bakuras, as in plural. That was another thing that had cropped up in six months he had been dead, so to speak. Dark Bakura was _alive_ under the new name of Akefia, and living with Ryou of all things. It had taken Jou _and _Honda to restrain Atem from tearing at the thief's throat, and likewise with Kaiba and Ryou holding the tombrobber back. It was a good four days before Atem was willing to listen to anyone about the hows and whys, and when he finally did it was with a begrudging obligation (Yugi had threatened to take his digital camera away if he didn't).

Apparently the thief had never inhabited the Millennium Ring, but instead had been trapped in the Shadow Realm after his body had been possessed by Necrophades before he was sacrificed. As such, he was only vaguely aware of the deeds committed by the spirit, and claimed he wasn't actually responsible (a likely tale, Atem had snidely thought, but that was something he kept to himself). It wasn't until a few months ago that he was returned to the mortal world, finally freed of the Shadow Realm, and Ryou had been the first to find him. And in spite of everything he had been put through, Ryou had helped Akefia and listened to his tale with an open heart, taking pity on him enough to allow him shelter in his own home.

Touching as it was, it didn't stop Akefia (Thief-Boy, Atem had so affectionately dubbed him) from being a complete asshole, and he never passed up an opportunity to irk the former pharaoh. Jou and Honda found their hands full controlling the pair more often than not; it helped that the two spirits were both pretty out of shape and therefore unable to escape being restrained. Akefia made it a game of sorts to pickpocket Atem when he least expected it, making a spectacle of whatever stuff he managed to snitch—Anzu never did properly forgive him for finding her lacy pink thong hiding in Atem's pockets, and the pharaoh swore repeatedly he had no clue how they got there. It was an incident now only mentioned when drunk.

With exceptions. "Any unmentionables I should be aware of before I root through your pockets again?" Akefia ventured as he eyed the deck box attached to Atem's belt, trying to figure which compartment would be easiest to steal from.

"Keep your hands to yourself, Thief-Boy," Atem snapped, his face flushing bright pink as the tombrobber shamelessly brought it up again. "Why don't you go take a job on the corner there if you're so damned desperate to stick your hands where they don't belong?"

The crosswalk light changed to green, and Atem hastily tried to make his way across before Akefia annoyed him more. Akefia was taller, though, and therefore kept up with ease. "I don't need a corner to get all the sex I want, and apparently neither do—"

"We've been over this, thief. There is nothing between—"

"Oh, come on, you think I don't know bullshit when I smell it? Clearly you and Anzu—"

"Akefia. Stop it. I've told you before, I don't know how they got—"

"A gift then! For you to—"

"One more word and I swear to Ra I _will _mind crush you in some form or another."

"Sheesh, touchy about our girlfriend, aren't we?" Akefia teased. He snickered as Atem didn't even try to defend himself, but merely placed his palm over his face as he walked onwards towards the museum. He probably should quit while he was ahead, but teasing the tri-dyed boy was too much fun to resist. It was almost cute, how the pharaoh would get flustered and blush as red as his eyes with embarrassment, and it was just too amusing to watch him get all riled up. Though if Atem's claims were true, how in the hells _did _those underwear get there? Were Anzu and Yugi . . . ? Ew, on second thought, nevermind. The idea of midget porn was much less amusing than the pharaoh trying to cover up an all-too-obvious affair; besides, Anzu was clearly head over heels for him anyway.

The museum loomed into view, and Atem closed the distance with a speedy dash up the steps, leaving the albino scrambling to catch up. At the top, Yugi waved down at them excitedly, his purple eyes gleaming merrily as he visibly contained his excitement. "C'mon, hurry up! Come see who's here, quick!" The smaller boy did a tiny dance on his tiptoes before spinning around and dashing indoors, clearly very excited about something.

Atem and Akefia exchanged puzzled glances before proceeding to follow Yugi into the building, wondering what in the world had the boy so excited. The answer, they found as they walked into the main hall, was a couple of familiar faces clustered together with their friends—Malik, Isis, and Rishid Ishtar. Gathered together at the base of the museum's signature statue, the tombkeeper family was busy talking animatedly with everyone else. Jono had Malik in a headlock and was proceeding to dig his knuckles into the boy's scalp, to which Malik responded by trying desperately to get away. Ryou had managed to get Rishid's ear and was going over some kind of book with him, while Isis and Kaiba were off to the side, apparently having a quiet debate over a piece of paper that the elder Ishtar was holding in the brunette's face.

"Six weeks! Six weeks, Kaiba, and still nothing!" Isis said, clearly restraining herself from yelling. "I've done my part, now it's time for you to do yours! Don't think you can weasel yourself out of this!"

"I told you it might take some time!" Kaiba argued back. "I'm not just a CEO, I have school to take care of, too!"

"And I said that's fine, except you were due a response two weeks ago! We can't get this off the ground unless you come through!"

"Well, it's good to see everyone getting along as well as I remember," Atem interjected as Kaiba opened his mouth to say something else. "So what have the Ishtars been up to while I was away?"

That got everyone's attention. Aside from Yugi, Kaiba, Jono, Ryou, Akefia, Anzu, and Honda, no one really knew about the former pharaoh's return to the living; Atem was pretty sure he heard Malik's jaw deposit itself somewhere in the underworld. He chuckled at the array of expressions looking at him, all of them ranging from simple surprise to utter shock and confusion, and walked over to Malik, grinning with mischief even in his eyes. "Might I recommend you pick that up before you lose it?" He jested playfully at the blonde's expression.

Malik immediately closed his jaw and straightened up as Jono finally let go, and then opened it again as he met Atem's gaze, and then closed it once more, lost for words. Rishid wasn't much help either, and Isis seemed to have forgotten her paper was still in Kaiba's face as she turned her head and stared, both of them as still as statues.

It was Ryou who broke the silence. "My father and the Ishtars are planning an expedition into some newly discovered ruins in Egypt," he explained. "'Kefi and I are going along—"

"Don't call me that," the thief interrupted, looking like a very miffed cat at the nickname.

"—anyway, we're going along for a summer project that'll hopefully help towards college for me," Ryou persisted, smiling widely.

"And Kaiba here is supposed to be helping to fund it," Isis added as she quickly got over her shock, "as repayment for us letting him borrow some very valuable tablets to attract more business."

"The tablet of memory?" Atem inquired, his curiosity piqued. That seemed unusually . . . _uncharacteristic _of her, to loan out something so valuable and mythic.

"No, no, no," she quickly interjected. "It was a selection of five tablets depicting duel monsters in ancient times that are to be returned at the end of the month." Isis gave Kaiba a sharp look as she said this, which the brunette returned fiercely. "The idea, now that the threat of the shadow games has passed, was to attract people to purchase duel monsters cards and dueling equipment to boast Kaiba's business, and teach a little of the history of the games through more than a simple museum exhibit.

"A portion of the funds was to be given as payment for loaning out such priceless relics, to cover the cost of getting them here and set up, as well as the return of these items, and the other part of the deal was for Kaiba here to help fund an expedition lead by my brother." She beamed proudly as she turned to Malik, who looked away and muttered something indistinct.

So it was for a business venture. That did make sense—if Kaiba successfully attracted customers with the artifacts on display, that in turn brought more attention to the museum, affecting both parties' revenue. And from the sound of it, revenue was something desperately needed to get this expedition going. Where in Egypt was this place supposed to be anyway . . . ?

"Only a handful of us are going," Malik added, "not including the professionals that will be accompanying us. Ryou, Akefia, Rishid, and myself will be going of course, plus two or three others who can afford their way. So, needless to say, time is limited if you want in."

"And just where are you going anyway?" Atem asked with a tilt of his head.

"Here," Rishid spoke up, pulling out a simplified map of his home country. He pointed to a circle that had something in Arabic scribbled next to it. "It's a few kilometers south of the Pyramids of Giza, deep underground. Some contractors discovered it by mistake while clearing new ground for development."

"It'll be another couple of months before everything is ready," Malik said. "So everyone has until then to get everything together if they want to go. It's going to cost about fifteen hundred per person, and that doesn't include supplies and luxuries, so you're going to have to work hard if you want in, pharaoh." The blonde smirked slightly, a look Atem returned with a shrug.

"I guess I had better get started, then," Atem replied with a smile. "Can't lie, this definitely has my interest, and with my background I would most certainly hate to sit this out."

"Then you'd better turn back home and get to work, because I'm not helping you," Yugi said with a playful sneer.

"First one to fifteen hundred in a month?" Atem bantered back.

"Three weeks and you're on," Yugi retorted.

"Then I don't know what you're waiting on, aibou!" Atem said as he sprinted back for the shop, Yugi close on his heels. A once in a lifetime opportunity awaited!

* * *

And so Chapter 2 comes to a close. But in the ruins, Atem and the others might just find more than they bargained for as they step into the ancient past. There's more than curses and mummies in those old tombs, after all!


End file.
